Propane exists as a liquid and a gas. At atmospheric pressure and temperatures above -44 F, it is a non-toxic, colorless and odorless gas. Just as with natural gas, an identifying odor is added so it can be readily detected. When contained in an approved cylinder or tank, propane exists as a liquid and vapor. The vapor is released from the container as a clean-burning fuel gas. Propane is 270 times more compact as a liquid than as a gas, making it economical to store and transport as a liquid.

In The Home... 

Consumers use propane for heating and cooling homes, heating water, cooking, refrigeration, drying clothes, barbecuing, lighting, and relaxing in front of the gas fireplace. According to the 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey report published by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration:

• 8.1 million households use propane, and 4.6 percent of these homes use propane as their main heating source.

• Of the nation's 6.3 million mobile/manufactured homes, 16 percent use propane as the main heating fuel.

For Recreational Use...

Because propane is portable and clean-burning, it is used by millions of recreational vehicle owners and camping enthusiasts.

• Gas grills, outdoor gas lights, mobile home and RV appliances, generators, and greenhouse heaters can all be fueled by propane.

• Millions of people are already using propane to safely and economically fuel heaters for their swimming pools, saunas, patios, and whirlpools.

• Because they are easier to use and better for the environment, gas grills are becoming ever more popular with the American public. According to 1999 statistics, 75 percent of all U.S. families own a barbecue grill, and 60 percent of these grill owners use a propane gas grill. Also, in 1999, manufacturers shipped a total of 14.9 million propane gas grills to retailers.